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Right-wing media attack James Talarico for his Christian faith and beliefs: “He’s not a minister, he’s blasphemous”

Written by Sophie Lawton

Published

Texas Democrat James Talarico is under attack by the right for his faith, with right-wing media figures particularly zeroing in on his views on abortion and LGBTQ issues to claim he is a “fake Christian” whose beliefs are “straight up demonic.” Following Talarico’s victory in the March 3 Senate primary against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, right-wing media immediately began railing against Talarico’s Christian faith, focusing on old videos of him supporting abortion rights and discussing his belief God is a nonbinary figure.

Talarico, an aspiring minister in seminary school, has been connecting his Christian faith and politics throughout his time in the Texas House of Representatives and on the campaign trail. His comments have drawn ire from Republican politicians like state Rep. Jeff Leach, who said Talarico “isn’t reading the same Bible I’m reading. And his ‘values’ couldn’t be more unTexan."

Right-wing media figures have taken up the hostility toward Talarico’s religious views, calling him “blasphemous” and “straight up demonic." Other examples of commentary from right-wing media figures about include:

  • “Trying to come across” as a “fake Christian” 

  • “Uses fake sermons and fake passages from the Bible”

  • “Skin suit of Christianity”

  • “A creepy looking heretic and fake pastor who pathologically lies to Christians over and over again about what scripture says”

    • Podcaster Benny Johnson has attacked Talarico multiple times, claiming his beliefs on abortion and faith are “straight up demonic” and calling him a “demon” who is “perverting my faith.” Before sharing a clip of Talarico speaking, Johnson claimed he was nervous to “curse the show by playing such blasphemous clips.” [YouTube, The Benny Johnson Show, 3/4/26, 3/5/26]
    • Newsmax host Greg Kelly called Talarico a “false teacher” for his views on transgender children and “the LGBT queer situation, which has gotten completely and totally out of hand." Kelly also accused Talarico of being a “fake teacher” who has “weaponized the faith.” [Newsmax, Greg Kelly Reports, 3/4/26]
    • Newsmax guest Mercedes Schlapp claimed Talarico is “trying to come across” as a “fake Christian” and said she hopes young people “don’t fall for this trap." Host Rob Schmitt responded, “We’re watching the left, the Marxists trying to take the churches. I mean, James Talarico is the church with the pride flag on the front of it.” [Newsmax, Rob Schmitt Tonight, 3/4/26]
    • On The Right Squad, Newsmax host Chris Plante called Talarico’s preaching “pseudo-sermons” and “left-wing fake religion sermons," claiming “he uses fake sermons and fake passages from the Bible, tortured and misrepresented — misrepresentations from the Bible.” Plante also called Talarico a “freak.” [Newsmax, The Right Squad, 3/4/26]
    • Discussing the primary race between Crockett and Talarico, Newsmax host David Harris Jr. said that the “Democrats chose to ditch ghetto, everyone-is-racist girl for the young, smooth-talking, God-is-binary blasphemer.” [Newsmax, The Pulse, 3/4/26]
    • Podcaster Vince Coglianese called Talarico’s views on abortion and gay marriage “a series of abominations. It's just blasphemies.” Coglianese then claimed, “The guy’s just making things up about scripture that aren't true at all, and he’s playing with, perhaps, eternal fire.” [Rumble, VINCE, 3/4/26]
    • Fox host Lawrence Jones criticized Talarico’s faith, claiming that in Texas “our pastors don’t talk like that” about God and gender. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 3/5/26]
    • On The Ingraham Angle, Fox host Charlie Hurt claimed Talarico is “fundamentally unserious” and said it’s “insulting” how he “wraps himself in the Bible." [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 3/4/26]
    • On his radio show, Sean Hannity and his producer, Lynda McLaughlin, called Talarico “dangerous." After Hannity said Talarico “acts like he’s a minister but he has very, very radical and extreme views,” McLaughlin claimed “he’s not a minister, he’s blasphemous.” [Premiere Radio Network, The Sean Hannity Show, 3/4/26]
    • Fox host Will Cain said Talarico is “perhaps more radical than Jasmine Crockett” and claimed he is “concerned” that Texans will “get wrapped up in this, you know, skin suit of Christianity while selling the wokest of woke left politics.” [Fox News, The Will Cain Show, 3/4/26]
    • Fox host and former Trump White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed Talarico is “not much of theologian" for saying “scripture is silent on the issue of abortion” and “not much of a scientist” for stating scientists have confirmed there are six genders. [Fox News, Outnumbered, 3/4/26]
    • Daily Wire host Matt Walsh said Talarico “is not simply a creepy looking heretic and fake pastor who pathologically lies to Christians over and over again about what scripture says. Now James Talarico is all of those things … but he is also completely insane.” [Daily Wire, The Matt Walsh Show, 3/5/26]